New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-03
JULES VERNE NEARLY DLSTANCED.


ception of the needs Of the age?
JULES VERNE NEARLY DISTANCED.
Jules Verne only just saved his reputation by
publishing his last story, 'Robw the Con-
qucror. when he did. In that fiction he pro
duces an aerial parallel to the famous Nauti-
us.p in which Captain Memo joumeyed so
many thousand leagues under the sea. Robuf
the Copoueror devises an aerial machine called
the Albatross, which can be driven seventy
miles an hour in the teeth Of the wind, and can
be managed and steered in any atmospheric
conditions, barring Che centre OF a revolving
hurricane. II Is an ingenious story, and the
sham science with which II is padded gives
il an air of sobriety and reality to the average
reader. But we have before us circular
which proves Chat though according to jules
Verne the Philadelphia scientists pin their
faith on balloons. the first aerial machine Is
already announced to take its departure from
an American city. The inventor OF the new
machine appears to be Frenchman. AT all
events. his name is De Bausset and his ad-
dress Is Chicago. He gives cut OF his ma
chine. which is cigar-shaped cylinder. to BIO
made Of metal plates. and is to support car
containing the machinery, passengers ana
crew. etc. In external appearance the body
resembles the Avitor which San Francisco
journalist spent a fortune upon vainly some
years ago.
There is nothing small about DIR. De Baus-
sets ideas. His air-ship is to be capable OF
carrying 200 passengers, and he intends.
about year hence, starting on voyage oil
discovery to the North Pole and Arctic re-
eions.p He estimates thai a month will suffice
for the VOYAGE to and from the Pole, allow
ing ten DAYS or two weeks for scientific OBJ
scrvations Of Arctic phenomena Whether
he means that the passage to the Pole Will be
made in one week is not quite clear. but prob
ab1v nothing Is hazarded in that assertion.
In the now ar-ship tho flotation is to be
effected. not by gas, but by creating partial
vacuum in the suspensory cylinder. TO tho
objection that tho result Of this procedure
would be the collapse of the cylinder. the brave
inventor replies by anticipation with equations
which at least satisfy him that ga partial
vacuum varying and averaging from IL TO
81 Of exhaustion) gives ample buoyancy for
lifting the cylinder and its car The verslca,
movements of the "Aeroplane' are to be reg
ulated by the vacuum and air-valvcs; tho eX-
baust Of the vacuum being controlled by four
powerful pneumatic pumps driven by storage
batteries Horizontal motion will be secured
"by the use of eight compound exhausting air
screws (propellers) displacing and throwing
upon the surrounding atmosphere 21O,OOO to
100000 cubic feet of air per minute, an en-
erpy sufficient to impart to the Acroplane
mean velocity Of seventy miles an hour
The protector is somewhat apprehcnsivc that
even 60 men Of scientific attanments, his
enterprise may appear visionary" but he says
that no one so far has been able to point out
any impracticable point in it; that his plan
has the approval Of many electrical experts and
authorities; and that he invites examination
and destructive criticism. The opinions OF
scientific men upon new mechanical lnven-
tions have frequently proved TO be mistaken.
as, for example the opinion OF DIR. Lardner
upon the possibility of crossing the Atlantic
with steamb oat, and the opinion OF many
English scientists upon the traction power oil
the first locomotive engine. Some of them
even contended that the driving wheels would
not take hold upon n smooth rail. but would
simply spin round and do no duty. Remcm-
bering those deplorable blunders. few men of
science will declare in advance that an aerial
machine is impractcable; but at the same
time they will hesitate to indorse it spec
uatively. AS the departure of the Aeroplane
for the North Pole next June seems to depend
quite as much upon the success of the In
ventor in raising money wherewith to build II
as upon the operation of the principles he is
70 andy, a good deal Of faith must go to tho
accomplishment of the project. and it is to be
feared that the commodity is not just now
so much a drug in the market as DR.. De Baus-
set could wish. Yet it is often by such bold
experiments that great mechanical discoveries
nro made